


Dragon's Mirror

by fieryrondo



Category: Tantei Gakuen Q | Detective Academy Q
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-26 01:56:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fieryrondo/pseuds/fieryrondo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dramaverse. "What lies behind the slumbering dragon's eyes?" Ten reflections, from friends and foes, on Amakusa Ryuu.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Overexposure

**Characters:** **Minami Megumi,**  Amakusa Ryuu, Renjou Kyuu

 **Chapter Note:** Set during episode 1.

* * *

 

Megumi hated her photographic memory.

She couldn't deny it was a useful gift. Megumi couldn't even fathom the idea of forgetting where she left her phone (Kyuu, on the other hand, for all of his investigative prowess, had lost his phone five times in the past week.) Tests, in general, were easy, especially the ones that didn't demand too much creativity. Megumi also saved money on books—after all, what was the point of buying a book when Megumi could remember the entire contents after looking through all of the pages just once?

It also meant that the bodies would never leave her mind.

Megumi had no illusions about the nature of detective work. As fun as it was to chase down a cross-dressing Nanami-sensei, she knew that the road of private investigation was a dark path strewn with thorns. Not all cases were as innocent and blood-free as recovering stolen money. People died. And many of those deaths were particularly horrific ones.

Even now as she crossed the street, the body of the girl's severed half, legs sticking stiffly out, flashed through her mind's eye.

"Megu?"

Ryuu.

Megu opened her eyes, trying to keep her breaths slow and deep, as to not hyperventilate.

_I will not scream. I will not scream._

"Did you find out anything more about the case last night?"

He regarded her with half-lidded eyes, dark bangs parted in the middle in soft curls. His skin was pale and smooth, like a baby that's never seen the light of day. A thin hand snaked to tug at the collar of his buttoned white shirt.

Haltingly, Megumi told him the bodies they had found last night. The bodies that burned into her mind's eye, the bodies that vanished like fled nightmares.

"How were they positioned again? Opposing each other, rather than next to? And it was two halves you said? Did you check to make sure?"

"I already told you," Megumi cut in, shuddering. "And why would we need to check? She was  _cut in half_ —that's not clear enough for you? What more do you want? Can you even imagine what it's like to remember—"

Megumi flushed as he regarded her with a cool gaze. She had realized she had been shouting.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"You don't want to remember," Ryuu said, voice as flat as water-worn stone.

"I don't. Who would?"

"I would."

Megumi blinked. Her jaw fell open.

"But—but why?"

"It would be useful for solving the case," he said and brushed a lock of hair that was falling into his eyes. "Was that your first time?"

"First time?" Megumi echoed.

Ryuu's eyes glinted. "Seeing a dead body."

Megumi shivered.

"No…but I never saw one like that."

To Megumi's horror, Ryuu smiled.

"You'll get used to it."

* * *

"Now, it's becoming interesting."

"This isn't a game—people are really dying!"

Megumi watched Ryuu lean forward, shoulders hunched and hands outstretched, fingertips touching in contemplation. His eyes, in contrast to his pale skin, gleamed darkly. Amusedly.

"I'm only interested in solving the mystery and figuring out who the murderer is."

Megumi noticed that Kyuu had fallen silent as Ryuu gave the same, satisfied smile he had given her minutes ago. Megumi wondered how many bodies she would have to see before she could smile like Ryuu. How many splatters of blood before she would be able to dissociate herself from her horror? How many deaths would it take before she was overexposed, numbed to the brutality of human beings?

Megumi recalled a chapter from a photo-editing software manual on overexposure. It was a common problem present in the photos of novice photographers, a problem that was characterized by a loss of highlight detail, the objects in the photo bleached to a blinding white.

"I hope the mystery goes deeper," Ryuu said and turned his head to face them. The smile vanished as he gazed steadily into their eyes, his features blankly nonchalant.

Kyuu stared back, eyes narrowed. Ryuu met his stare, eyes aglitter like sharp flint.

Megumi hid her shaking hands as she moved to sit beside Kyuu.

_Ryuu, you can't…your eyes shouldn't look like that._

"Want to think about the trick behind the disappearing body?" she proposed.

And to her relief, Ryuu looked away.


	2. Reflex

**Characters: Toyama Kintaro,** Amakusa Ryuu, Renjou Kyuu

 **Chapter Note:** Set after episode 3.

* * *

 

"You call that a punch, Kyuu?"

Kintaro watched in bemusement as Kyuu fell to the floor for the umpteenth time, sent by mere recoil of his mediocre punch. Even without the kickboxing pads, Kintaro doubted the boy could even hurt him. It was cute to watch him try though.

"Let's—try…again," Kyuu said in between pants. His small hands curled into fists. "I'll try running towards you a little faster."

Kintaro's lips widened into a grin.

"Give me your best shot."

The "best shot" never actually happened. Inexplicably, Kyuu tripped over himself and his face smashed into the foam pads Kintaro held out in front of him.

Ryuu, curled up in his chair, suppressed a soft snort.

Kyuu pouted as he pulled his body into a sitting position.

"Ryuu!"

Ryuu turned the page.

Kintaro watched the scene with shrewd mirth. The two boys might have been the same age but one couldn't find two people more different. If Kyuu's sunny disposition was the sun, Ryuu's quiet demeanor was the night's moon. Ryuu even dressed in monochrome—a neat button down shirt with a pressed tie, sleek black pants and polished white shoes.

 _He dresses like a cram school kid_ , Kintaro thought.  _A well-dressed one._

Kintaro watched Ryuu turn another page. The boy, for his cold bluster, was so small in Kintaro's eyes. He was even smaller than Kyuu. Curled up in the armchair, the boy seemed smaller, and delicate like a porcelain doll.

_I'd never even seen him fight before. A lesson or two could do him some good._

"Wanna learn, Ryuu? 'Cause you sure look like you need it."

Ryuu closed the book he was reading and placed it back on the shelf.

"No thanks."

"Scared of getting hurt?" Kintaro did not usually provoke Ryuu, but he was growing irritated of the young teenager's standoffish attitude. He might be part of Q class, but he sometimes didn't act like it. Maybe the others didn't notice, but Kinta caught Ryuu disappearing briefly during the Internet God case, only reappearing when they confronted Makino Daisuke. And while everyone (with the exception of Kyuu) investigated alone, it was really only with Ryuu that they had no idea what he was up to.

Ryuu glared, eyes smoldering as they burned at Kintaro.

"Tch." Sliding his hands into his pockets, Ryuu turned and left the room, shoulder bag flapping from his sudden pivot.

"You shouldn't have gone that far," Kyuu chided.

"He's a sensitive brat."

"Kinta…"

A sigh.

"Fine, fine, I'll apologize."

* * *

Kintaro was wondering where Ryuu had disappeared off to when he heard the familiar sounds of a struggle. And then a cry.

 _Ryuu!_  The worn soles of his sneakers whisked over the ground. As he bolted around the corner, he stopped at the sight of a white shoulder bag on the ground.

"Get your hands off him!" Kintaro roared and pulled one of the men off a thrashing Ryuu. Judging from their unbuttoned gakuran tops and wild hairstyles, they were nothing more than the neighborhood juvenile delinquents. With an experienced punch, Kintaro knocked the guy unconscious and reached for the other man. Ryuu slipped free from the scuffle, hair ruffled, a light bruise forming on his wrist where one of the yankees had grabbed him.

"Ryuu, run! I'll take them!"

"That so?" Kintaro choked as an arm closed around his neck. The unconscious guy wasn't quite so unconscious after all. Kintaro scrabbled at the arm, thick and hard, like fleshy steel. "You'll pay for that—"

Suddenly, the man howled in pain and released Kintaro, who staggered a little, dizzily gulping air. Spinning around, Kintaro was shocked when his captor was screaming, weeping in agony over his forearm, which had been stabbed by a thrown knife.

"Hurry!" Kintaro felt Ryuu's small hand slide and grasp his large, callused one. They ran and while Kintaro's strides were bigger, the younger boy easily compensated by quickening his steps. After passing several blocks, they slowed to catch their breaths.

Kintaro watched Ryuu's chest rise and fall as he breathed. Aside from the slight messiness of his hair, the bruise on the wrist, and the wrinkled collar, the boy's attire was absolutely pristine. Even his bag was clean.

"The knife—was that you?" Kintaro asked, though he already knew the answer. He had seen the knife leave the thrower's hands. "Where did you get such a thing?"

"From the police officer who attacked Kazuma."

_Too calm, too practiced._

"You're good with throwing knives, Ryuu."

 _Where on earth would you have learned such a thing? Self-defense was not the focus of the Q class curriculum, let alone weaponry use._ Kintaro knew judo and karate but even he did not know how to fight with knives.

Ryuu shrugged.

"Beginner's luck, I didn't stop to think about it," he said. "So I just did it."

_You could have killed me, but you knew it wouldn't happen, did you?_

"Reflex, eh?" Kintaro said, watching Ryuu smooth the shirt collar and straighten the white bag.

"You can say that."

Kintaro watched Ryuu go. As usual, he was nowhere close to unraveling the web that was Amakusa Ryuu. This time, though, he had at least learned one thing.

_He definitely doesn't need any fighting tips from me._


	3. Recreation

**Characters: Narusawa Kazuma** , Amakusa Ryuu

 **Chapter Note:** Set after episode 3.

* * *

On days when they didn't have class or cases to investigate, Kazuma's favorite place to go was the video game store. It was one of his guilty pleasures—as much fun as it was to design games, Kazuma enjoyed trying out the hottest new games. RPGs, shooter games, simulation, sports, and strategy—Kazuma excelled at video games of all genres.

Kazuma was torn between two games. Unfortunately, he had enough money for one. Sighing, Kazuma pulled at his hat and frowned. He lifted his gaze from the shiny covers when he spotted a familiar flash of white pass the aisle he was in.

"Ryuu?" Kazuma had to rub his eyes to check to see that he had been correct. Giving the video games one more glance, Kazuma hurried down the aisle Ryuu had passed. To his amazement, it really was Ryuu, who was walking quickly. He was followed by a lady in a white, flowing dress.

"Ryuu!"

Ryuu snapped around, reacting to Kazuma's greeting. When he spotted Kazuma, his eyes widened.

"Kazuma…"

"A friend of yours?" the lady in white asked, having caught up with Ryuu. She was quite pretty, Kazuma noted, and he wondered how the woman knew Ryuu.

"What are you doing here?" Ryuu asked, completely ignoring the lady.

"Just checking out the latest games." Kazuma's gaze slid back and forth between the two. He had the oddest feeling that he had been interrupting something. "What about you?"

"Same," Ryuu replied and the lady shifted.

"Ryuu-sama does not have time for games, little one."

"Shut up," Ryuu snapped. "Stop following me."

Instead of reacting in anger or hurt, the lady merely smiled.

"It's too hot, let's go." Despite the fact that the store's air-conditioning system was functioning perfectly, Kazuma allowed Ryuu to grab his wrist and lead him out of the store. Ryuu walked fast, hardly looking back as he determinedly crossed the streets.

"Uh…if you don't mind me asking, who was she?"

"No one, just some stalker I met on my way to the store."

"Sorry, that must have been rough."

"It's nothing."

The two continued to head back to the Loop in silence.

"Didn't know you were into video games, Ryuu."

To Kazuma's surprise, the boy answered back.

"I'm not. Never played before."

"Really? I don't believe it—not even when you were little?"

"I didn't have time for recreation then," Ryuu said. "For games, or pretend. I didn't see the point."

"The point is that there is no point."  _To not have played as a child, no wonder he's so cold._ Kazuma couldn't imagine a childhood without video games. He recalled one of his favorite fighting games was back at the Loop. He hadn't played an actual opponent in a while.

"I have this fighting game back at the classroom—it's multi-player and the battles are pretty realistically rendered. You want to play?"

Ryuu paused.

"I…" For a split second, Kazuma almost believed Ryuu would say yes, but something changed in his face and Ryuu's eyes darkened once more. "I'd better not. Too close to our work."

Kazuma's face fell. Leave it to Ryuu to interpret a fun activity as work.

"Or we could try a different game? A non-fighting one."

Ryuu shook his head.

"Some other time," he said vaguely.

Which was really the boy's way of saying, 'No.'

 


	4. Master of Disguise

**Characters: Nanami Kotaro** , Amakusa Ryuu, Renjou Kyuu, Minami Megumi, Toyama Kintaro, Narusawa Kazuma

 **Chapter Note:** Set after episode 3.

* * *

"Master, how are you feeling today?"

"This week's stocks were, uh, like, really good. Lots of money to be made and you can get rich too, yeah, if you listen to me."

"Let's put a hundred percent effort into our studies today!"

"How do I put this on again?"

Nanami Kotaro sighed. What he had planned to be a typical refresher course in disguise and undercover work fundamentals had somehow mushroomed into a huge disaster area. Megumi, in her nurse outfit, was shamelessly flirting—with alarming suavity—with a mannequin. Kintaro, looking horribly uptight in his pressed suit, was stumbling over his sales pitch lines (he also kept dropping his briefcase). Kyuu, having lucked out during the draw where they determined which disguise set they would wear, was wearing a preppy school uniform and was encouraging Kazuma, who, clad in roller-skating gear, was tripping over his skates.

After Kintaro had butchered the rest of his lines ("The bull market is very fresh today, man, I mean, sir. We got a lotta healthy cows, best Kobe beef anywhere."), Nanami called for their attention. Kazuma managed to drag himself to a chair, granting his bruised knees a reprieve from the floor.

"We don't generally do a ton of undercover work," Nanami began. "Because most of you guys are young, the range of identities you can assume are very limited."

"I look way too young to be a dumb salaryman," Kintaro complained. "And who the hell would believe that Megu has a nursing license?"

"The point is," Nanami interrupted hotly. "that these skills will be very useful in investigative work later in life, so it's good to start honing on them as soon as you can. Especially—" he glared "—since you guys suck at this."

"Well, it's hard to pretend to be someone you don't really relate to," Kazuma pointed out. "Like, why am I a skater when I have a chauffeur and a car? It's so analog!"

"I think it's kind of fun," Kyuu said.

"That's because you got the easy outfit—anyone of us could look like a middle school student, well, except for Kinta."

"You fool, the art of disguise is not merely a façade." Nanami occasionally wondered why these kids ended up in Q class, considering how shallow their thought patterns were sometimes. "It's more than just looking the part, you have to know your disguise, be one with it."

"But Kinta doesn't know how to be a salaryman, and he doesn't really look like one," Megumi pointed out. "I don't look like a nurse, either—I'm too young."

"That's why we have masks," Nanami said.

Kintaro scowled. "No way am I letting those gross, rubber things touch my face."

"Ano…if I may interject?" A soft voice came from the doorway of the room. Nanami and the others turned their heads in the direction the voice had come from. Nanami's jaw muscles twitched, despite his impressive command over his facial muscles.

"Who's the cute girl?" Kintaro wondered out loud.

The said "cute girl" scowled.

"It's still me, you guys."

Kyuu was the first to recover.

"Ryuu! You look really good in that. Like a completely different person!"

"He looks like a pretty girl," Megumi added in hushed tones. Then in shock: "He makes a prettier girl than me."

Even Nanami had trouble not being impressed. The sailor-fuku, which Ryuu was currently wearing, fit him perfectly.

_He's got a really round face, like a baby's. And his cheeks are pink and cute, like a girl's. And for that one greeting line, Ryuu's voice had risen and changed. He manipulated his voice to sound breathy and light, like that of a young schoolgirl._

Nanami wondered if Ryuu had had experience in cross-dressing before, or if he had simply learned from watching others.

"Just like that, Ryuu's a good example." Nanami kept to the rules as closely as he could. He had to be firm with the children but also reward them when they did well. And out of the Q class, only Ryuu had passed the disguise activity with flying colors.

"You make a cute schoolgirl," Kintaro teased.

"I'd watch what I was saying if I were you,  _senpai_."

"Forget what I said about you being cute. Seeing you in that skirt just gives me the chills."

Ryuu glared.

"Is that a face that an innocent schoolgirl should be making?" Nanami asked.

"Maybe the girl's having some problems of her own," Ryuu said. "Are we done now?"

Before Nanami or the others could say another word, Ryuu strode out of the room, the hem of the skirt swishing gently in the air.

Thus exited what Nanami's most likely candidate to ascend to disguise and undercover operations specialist.


	5. Lay Down the Law

**Characters: Moroboshi Keibu** , Nekoda Keiji, Amakusa Ryuu, Renjou Kyuu

 **Chapter Note:** Set during episode 10

* * *

Detective Moroboshi Keibu hated the concept of a Q Class.

This was not to be mistaken with a dislike of Q Class itself. Sure the kids were annoying—especially the Amakusa kid with his holier-than-thou attitude—but Moroboshi knew they were good kids at heart.

Good kids should stay at home and play and study, not go nosing around murder scenes.

Seeing dead bodies and gore splattered on the walls like paint did horrible things to a man's mind, never mind a child's. Moroboshi cursed Detective Dan for traumatizing kids in this way. As a defender of justice, Moroboshi took it upon himself to protect the innocent and helpless from the wicked monsters who tried to hurt them.

It was a job for adults, not for children.

But the old detective paid him no heed. Kept talking about the future, the next generation, the next Dan successor. Detectives did not simply spring out from the woodwork, they had to be culled and groomed and tested.

All for the sake of making sure that there would be another Dan to take over once the old man kicked the bucket.

Moroboshi knew that these kids were smarter than him. Obviously, they would be, or else Dan wouldn't have picked them. But what no one seemed to get, despite how smart they were, was that smarter kids were just as vulnerable as any other kid on the street. Kids were damn fragile—Moroboshi wouldn't be surprised if Q Class had therapy attached to their sleuthing classes—they probably needed it.

Especially Amakusa Ryuu.

Moroboshi had met a lot of surly kids (occupational hazard as a police official on days when he was not investigating murder cases) but what freaked him out was how  _cold_  Amakusa was. Barely fourteen, the kid had already perfected his death glare—a glare that gave even Moroboshi, hardened by years of investigative experience, the willies. Poor kid didn't even seem shocked by the corpses anymore—he just looked at everything as puzzle pieces to be played and fitted together. The rest of Q class was similarly accustomed to the mess of crime scenes (save for the poor Minami girl), but none of them gave off the silent, chilly aura that Amakusa did.

Then Amakusa Ryuu went off and did an outrageous thing. He took a blow that was meant for his classmate. Stupidly heroic, but it gave Moroboshi a glimmer of relief—at least, the kid was still human, even if he was a sullen grouch the rest of the time.

But now this Seiryukan business. Amakusa unearths the ugliness of his past by inviting the four co-owners of his late father's hotel. Said owners start dying in mysterious and gruesome ways. Kid doesn't have an alibi. He just silently stares, glaring at Moroboshi with those predatory eyes. Light-killing eyes.

Killer eyes.

Moroboshi doesn't want to believe that a kid could possibly kill. But Amakusa, in his typical lone wolf fashion, refuses to own up. Refuses to reach out, to swallow his dragon's pride and just  _ask_  for help. Instead, he says nothing. Things look bad and the kid doesn't even try to dig himself out of the hole that's been prepared for him.

Moroboshi hates it but he has to take Amakusa Ryuu with him.

"Ryuu! Do you remember yesterday's promise?"

_The Kyuu kid calls after him. I feel Amakusa tense up. It's a loaded question. I let the kid turn around to face his friend. They lock gazes and something seems to have been communicated between them. Amakusa relaxes a little before following us to the car._

_I hope we get the case cleared out. Hanging out at the police station isn't much fun for a kid._

_But then Nekoda has to go and shoot his mouth off. Though he's my kouhai, he still makes mistakes. In this case, he assumed that Amakusa was guilty._

"Well, you can restart your life over again. I'll bring you some treats."

"I'd rather die than go to prison."

_The car stops and Amakusa exits the vehicle, followed by a frantic Nekoda, who urges him to cough out the swallowed pill._

To both detectives' amazement, Amakusa flipped Nekoda over and disappeared into the woods. Nekoda's indignant splutters of "He's definitely guilty! It hurts!" thrummed through Moroboshi's eardrums. The older man winced.

Moroboshi hated smart kids.

Because being smart sometimes led to a nasty end.


	6. Inheritance

**Characters: Dan Morihiko** , Amakusa Ryuu

 **Chapter Note:** Set during episode 7/8 

* * *

The boy carries a tremendous weight on his shoulders. Just as Hoshihiko once did.

He looks nothing like his grandfather though. In this small way, even his body seems to be fighting against his fate. I expect he takes after his mother more.

Nonetheless, the resemblance between the two is uncanny.

Hoshihiko was once noble. When we were children, he was a quiet one, but he always played fairly. He had a good sense of justice and in particular, despised bullies.

But people change. All it took was one accusation. One skeleton unearthed in a closet. In a blink of an eye, Hoshihiko, my dearest childhood companion, had become someone unrecognizable. He had cast off the burden from his shoulders to take accept the chains of a fate he had once spurned.

I was sure that Hoshihiko—no,  _King Hades_ , wanted his grandson to do the same.

Amakusa Ryuu was young and yet the burden of his secret had already weighed so heavily on him. In some ways, he was already more steeped in the darkness of the criminal world thanks to his early orphaning, I shuddered to think what sort of lessons the boy might have been taught in the earlier years of his childhood, before he came to the Detective Academy.

Amakusa-kun never talked about it. During his private interview, as part of the screening process for Q class enrollment, I remember being struck by his response when asked his motivations for pursuing investigative work.

" _I want the power to prevent crimes from destroying the lives of innocents, and to repent for not doing anything when I could have."_

The boy had a haunted look in his eyes, a light that did not belong to a child's. Death left its mark on him, a shadow that hung like a draping mantle over his small shoulders.

" _Evil blood is flowing through my veins…Pluto's leader…King Hades' blood."_

Amakusa-kun had already seemed to resign to his fate. I could not even begin to describe the horror that froze the blood in my veins when he confirmed what I had suspected all along. The frost in his eyes…for a moment, I almost mistook him for the Hoshihiko from my childhood days.

I could not let him go down that road. Not again.

I refused to accept his withdrawal request from Q Class.

It was a symbolic gesture at most. Despite what I said, I no longer had control over the boy. Perhaps I never did. He was flighty like Hoshihiko, afraid to let anyone get close. I suspected, like Hoshihiko, he would have much preferred to stay with his classmates, in a quasi friendship, cooperative but never intimate.

A fragile bond of friendship kept from the sharpened edge of Amakusa's family secret.

Would Amakusa follow in his grandfather's footsteps? Cast off the burden of guilt, abandon his humanity, as society would expect him to? To inherit King Hades' throne?

I was afraid.

* * *

"He looked peaceful when he was sleeping."

I nodded. He certainly did. Only in the depths of unconsciousness did Amakusa feel that he could let down his guard. But I smiled. Amakusa had let his guard down today, before my very eyes.

When we had entered the hospital room, Amakusa was already stirring from his medicated sleep, eyes disoriented but watchful. He ignored Nanami-kun's greeting, his eyes trained on mine.

_As long as you have a heart of justice, it doesn't matter what your lineage is. No one here, including yourself, wanted you to drop out, right?_

Amakusa-kun's guards flew off and his eyes widened, mouth pouting almost childishly. It had never occurred to him that he had never really wanted to leave his friends. He cherished his friends and unlike so many things he had been forced to give up in life, he was unwilling to let Q Class go.

He's accepted the burden on his shoulders, because he's realized that he doesn't have to bear it alone.

He can still fight against his destiny.

As long as Kyuu and Q Class stay by his side.


	7. My Little Prince

**Characters: Miss Yurie** , Amakusa Ryuu, Kerberos, Renjou Kyuu

 **Chapter Note:** Pre-series.

 **Warning:** Dark content. Mentions of attempted child molestation, sex, and pedophilia. Nothing explicit, but read at your own risk.

* * *

He was beautiful. I could only imagine what he could become once he was all grown up.

He came to us when he was but a little boy. He was beautiful even then. Those large, round eyes darkened over with the sorrowed light of bereavement-he had, after all, not too long ago, witnessed his father "hang himself"—I found myself entranced by them.

It was from that point on I realized I wanted him.

I was but a young and silly girl then, full of foolish hopes and aspirations. I was bitterly disappointed that Hades-sama did not put me in charge of raising his grandson. He knew I meant well, but explained that I was too passionate. After his failure to raise a successor with his own son, he did not want to risk giving his second and last chance (Hades-sama did not entertain any illusions about his mortality, but he was adamant on the organization's immortality) any dangerous notion of fiery spirit, which always did seem to invite either steadfast loyalty or rebellion. He wanted a son that was intelligent, but obedient. Ruthless, but not brutish.

Despite being under Hades-sama's tutelage, indisputably the best in the world, Ryuu-sama only met expectations halfway.

He was calculating, but empathetic. Though his gaze was indifferent in the presence of the disposed, his eyes burned with a hidden fire of justice, a terrible beam that pierced the darkness the organization was trying to proliferate. Even as a young child who spent most of his early years in the shadows of crime and murder plans, he, inexplicably, was repulsed by his surroundings and craved for a light he knew existed, but was denied.

As much as Hades-sama wanted to be directly involved in grooming his heir, his duties kept him busy, particularly since he had heard that his old friend, Dan Morihiko, had acquired a new partner—a young, bright-eyed detective named Renjou. Together, the duo had already begun to unravel some of the organization's most complicated and important murder plans.

Ryuu-sama had already been left in Kerberos's custody for a year and in my opinion, he was doing a very poor job. Ryuu-sama's brilliance could not be questioned—even at the tender age of eleven, he was already capable of understanding the intricacies of some of the organization's finest plans, but the boy's age also meant he needed a lot of guidance.

Guidance, as far as I was concerned, Kerberos was not giving.

The man gets the job done, I acknowledge, but he has no finesse. He spoke bluntly, without concealing his penchant for reveling in the misery of others. It wouldn't be long before Ryuu-sama became too repulsed, as children—even perfect children—are prone to be, at the death's macabre dance.

Ryuu-sama needed a mothering touch. Someone who could nurture him into his destiny, not someone who would shove him there in tears.

I argued my case with Hades-sama and to my delight, he agreed. Ryuu would continue his lessons with Kerberos, but I was in charge of his personal life outside of his studies.

"I see what you're trying to do." Kerberos approached me when he received the order from Hades-sama. He leered at my flowing white dress. "See you did your research proper. If I squint real hard, you look almost like her."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sly, disgusting man, there was something a little slippery about him I didn't like. But I knew how to handle him.

"Too bad it won't go as you plan." He laughed as he stamped out his cigarette.

I would have slapped the man if I weren't afraid of getting the smell of ash on my newly acquired clothes. Instead, I settled for a glare.

The man cackled, hands flopping out from the ends of his thick arms like dog paws.

"I take it back. You look nothing like her."

* * *

"Ryuu-sama, allow me to help you change—"

"No, thank you. I can do it on my own."

"I insist, Ryuu-sama."

I reach over and my fingers slide across his arm. So smooth and perfectly pale.

He gasps and pulls back, pressing his back against the bedroom wall. His shirt is half-unbuttoned and I am pleased to feast my eyes on his little chest. From the wild look of panic in his eyes, I fear I may have been a little too forward.

"Don't—don't touch me." Even when his voice is hoarse and thick with fear, his voice is heavenly.

"You needn't be afraid of me, Ryuu-sama, I only want to help you into bed. You've done this before, so why not let me—"

"Stop it!  _You're not my mother!_ "

Kerberos, to his credit, did not comment on my bruised forehead later that night, only offered a cold compress, which I suspect he had prepared in advance. Swallowing my pride, I accepted his offering to a truce and sank wearily onto the bed as I watched Kerberos undress himself.

"I take it he didn't react well to your motherly advances?"

I scowled and tossed my hair.

"He'll come around."

"Doubt it."

"Shut up," I said and swooped down on him for a kiss.

"Mommy's being naughty," Kerberos sang from under the sheets.

Ryuu-sama would come around, I thought feverishly. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

The next time I saw him, it was nearly a year after his running away from home. Hades-sama ensured that Kerberos was punished severely for somehow overlooking Ryuu-sama's nightly trips. We did not know where Ryuu had disappeared; only that he was conducting searches for any living relatives. Not that he would have had any luck—we made sure to take care of any remaining blood relations not affiliated with the organization.

By a stroke of fate, I found Ryuu-sama, sitting quietly on a bench in the Shibuya district. He had grown even more handsome in the past year.

And he was alone.

"Ryuu-sama, it's been a while."

His head snaps up, eyes gleaming like daggers. He jumped off the bench, putting as much distance between us as he could in one leap.

"You!" he hisses, teeth bared like a house cat's. I'm sure he meant to appear intimidating, but I found the effect rather cute.

"I'm hurt, Ryuu-sama, and I've missed you all of this time."

"Did King Hades send you?"

"Your mouth's gotten coarser since we met. You will address your grandfather with respect."

"I've cut ties with you, all of you." His eyes flash. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

I study him. There was courage in his stance, a defiance that had never been there before. I wonder what he had obtained that allowed him to look at me with such disdainful eyes, like I was nothing more than a piece of dirt.

I didn't like that look.

"Ryuu!" A young voice calls out from the crowd. "Where are you?"

The hateful courage vanishes to be replaced by a frosty wariness.

"I suppose you've found new friends now?" I smile sweetly and my eyes scan the crowd, looking out for the calling voice.

"Don't touch them, don't you dare touch them."

I step closer to him and gently clasp his hand. He shudders but does not pull back.

Good boy, he's learning.

"I won't bring you back if you'll tell me where you've been this past year."

He clenches his teeth. He doesn't want to tell me, but he will, if I make him. I apply a little more pressure on his wrist and to my satisfaction, pain flashes briefly over his face.

"Why don't you tell me, Ryuu-sama?"

"Ryuu! Oh, I'm so sorry—!"

A peddler pushing a cart full of watches and cell phone straps crashes into us. I am forced to let go of Ryuu-sama, who quickly swerves to avoid the out-of-control cart. As the peddler apologizes to me, I see a boy around Ryuu-sama's age approach Ryuu-sama.

"Ryuu, are you all right? We lost the guy we were tracking when he pushed the peddler in our way."

I try to get a closer look at the boy, but a crowd has formed, drawn by the commotion and to my frustration, Ryuu grabs the boy by the hand and pulls him away, away from the crowd.

Away from me.

"Let's go," he says to the boy, while glancing calmly at me. "The others are waiting."

And just like smoke, Ryuu-sama slips from my fingers once more. But I won't give up. I was so close this time—I can still feel the pleasant tingle in my fingertips as they caressed his soft palms. After we take care of the annoying peddler who dared interfere my meeting with Ryuu-sama, I will request to join the investigation to find Ryuu-sama's whereabouts. He had been clever enough to stay away for a year but I know it wouldn't be long before we track him down.

And that boy. I didn't catch sight of his face clearly, but I will always remember his voice. Ryuu-sama's friend. I will enjoy hurting him.

Ryuu-sama, my little prince, I will find you and when I do, I will embrace you in these arms, draped in the stolen sleeves of your dear mother, and take you back home with me.


	8. Mesmerizing Gaze

**Characters: Kerberos (Ken L. Bellrose)** , Amakusa Ryuu

 **Chapter Note:** Pre-series. Episode 8.

 **Additional note:** A few select details regarding Kerberos are borrowed from the manga. Anything about his past that you don't recognize is solely a product of my imagination.

* * *

_His eyes look like hers_.

Under the swaying of the flashing pendulum, the blankness of their eyes resembled hers. That cold, rainy day, the day when night came much too quickly and the warmth slithered away, disappearing into the crevices of the heart of one Ken L. Bellrose. But everything was all right after. The benumbed Ken made way for a stronger man, a man that would unleash hell from the depths of hurting human souls, tempting witless fools to abandon their humanity. With a smile, Kerberos sent his spellbound hellhounds to destruction, of others and unknowingly, themselves as well.

A sentimentalist might interpret Kerberos' fascination with hypnotism as a perversion of Ken's desire to see Ayumi, however dead and cold her eyes were, over and over in each new victim.

_I love you I love you I love your eyes._

Even when glazed with the cloudiness of death, Ayumi's eyes were beautiful. Of course they were even more beautiful when her eyes were bright with life, her lashes fluttering as she sipped her morning coffee, eyes scanning the homicide reports with a fierce concentration Ken had found particularly endearing. She didn't have Ken's eidetic memory, but she worked harder than him, determined to not spend her career forever trailing behind her partner's footsteps.

_You really have the most delightful eyes, so soulfully deep, I could let myself fall into them…if I really wanted to._

Unlike Ken, Kerberos was in full control. With a lulling purr and a silver swing, Kerberos could make others act exactly the way he wanted them to. There were no surprises, no hiccups or abnormalities. No one under his spell could lie to him, like she did with smiling eyes. Their eyes were perfectly clear, so pure and blank, untainted by the torment of depression, unfettered by the shackles of helplessness. Kerberos wagered that his hypnotism did more for his victims than those prescribed psychosis medication ever did for her.

_Pick up the knife…that's it, good boy…_

Their world was simple—obey Kerberos and all was well.

_Now bring it down, just like you did that paper a minute ago…make a clean cut._

The boy's hand, which had moved so gracefully, bending eagerly to Kerberos's command, suddenly trembled. The serene blank light in his eyes flickered. His fingers twitched, like a wooden puppet tripping over its strings.

"Ryuu-sama, cut off the rabbit's head.  _Now_."

The boy blinked and slowly opened his eyes. Irises glittered like polished stones slicked with cool water. Kerberos—no, Ken found himself getting lost into those dark orbs that seemed to expand and envelop him with elusive warmth.

The memory of caressing her salty, tear-streaked cheeks, a murmured apology, overwhelmed him.

Kerberos returned to his senses with the sound of a knife coming down the table. The rabbit scampered free and hopped out the window, disappearing into the bushes. For what seemed like an entire night, the two watched each other, neither one quite holding the other's gaze.

The boy spoke first.

"I don't like what you tried to make me do."

"How did you do that?" And for the first time, Kerberos was genuinely curious. And confused. He could not remember a time when his enchantment failed. Perhaps in his early days of study with King Hades, but that was a long time ago.

"I'll do it if you ever try to put me under again." The boy was mad this time, though his voice was still as calm as ever. "I can't believe Grandfather would want this done to me."

"You wouldn't believe the things that man wants done to you."

The boy's eyes widened, pupils dilating in fear.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really think you're in control, Ryuu-sama?"

_Even if you break my spell, you can never break his. The one whom you belong to, bound by blood._

"I'm not like you, Kerberos, I won't let myself be chained like a dog."

_Like a dog, eh? We'll see who's chained at the end of the day, boy._

* * *

Kerberos laughed.

They had taken away his pendulum and covered his eyes. For the first time in a while, his eyes were swathed in dark, unable to snare the feeble minds of those nearby.

Kerberos would get out. He always would. But for now, King Hades wanted him to stay put. As a punishment of sorts, for his failure. Kerberos found his confinement rather unfair. After all, it wasn't his fault that the man's grandson had stupidly pushed the Kyuu-kid out of the way to take the blow for himself.

Maybe King Hades didn't know (or likely, he did, but was unwilling to admit it) but hypnosis was far from a perfect method of controlling others. The man did exactly as Kerberos ordered him to, but still, things turned out differently. Kyuu was still alive (the little brat had uncanny luck), Ryuu-sama was in intensive care (according to Yurie's sources), and the bonds of Q class were stronger than ever. Pluto's heir remained stubbornly out of their grasp, intent on yanking and biting at the chain that bound him to them.

Kerberos sneered at the boy's attempts to flee his past, but a small, irritating part of himself, the part he thought he had buried years ago, what was left of Ken, the optimistic investigative partner of Toudou Ayumi, lauded Amakusa Ryuu's efforts to resist his dark destiny. Part of him, all of him actually, Kerberos included, wanted to watch the boy, to not interfere for once but to let things play out, let the chips fall where they would, to see if the boy could cut free from the puppeteer for good.

It was at that moment, in the still echoing chamber of his cell, that Kerberos made up his mind to not interfere. King Hades would not mind anyway—he and Yurie seemed perfectly happy planning the final stage.

Kerberos wondered how Amakusa Ryuu's eyes would look when the very people who sought to protect ended up destroying him.


	9. Heir of the Dark

**Characters: King Hades (Kokuo Hoshihiko)** , Amakusa Ryuu

 **Chapter Note:** Set during episode 7.

* * *

"Have some of the beef—it's delicious."

He watched me from across the table, eyes unceasingly wary. Though to an outsider, he looked at ease, if not a little reluctant, to be enjoying a meal with his dear grandfather, the tensed shoulders said otherwise.

Something had to be done about this. Ryuu had hardly touched his food. And had hardly said a word since he had got into the limousine earlier that day. At this rate, the day will have ended without any progress being made save for arousing the suspicions of Dan and his cross-dressing lackey.

"How is it at the detective academy? Are you getting along well with the other students in the class?"

The fork that was pushing his food around paused.

"Fine, why do you care?"

"Am I not allowed to be concerned on your behalf as a grandfather? Even if our work interests at the moment do not coincide, you know I put family above everything else."

"Even Pluto?" He pretended to look bored but I knew from the nervous twitch of his fingers that was interested in my reply.

"Even Pluto," I evenly said. "Now, according to Miss Yurie, you may have been interpreting my warnings as threats—" He scoffed, but allowed me to continue. "—but I would like to clarify that they are merely signs of my concern for your welfare."

"You can dress up your threats in the prettiest words—"

"Listen to me, Ryuu." Steel crept into my voice. "I am  _worried_  about you. Dan-sensei works Q Class pretty hard, doesn't he?"

At last, he fell silent, shifting his gaze from the ceiling to his plate. He was mulling over the truth of my words, which even he could not deny. Caught up in the succession of murder cases revealed and solved, it was hardly surprising that their "schoolwork" took up a more than reasonable number of work hours. And were they being fairly compensated?

No. Aside for the fact that they had consented to do this, the detective academy had mere  _children_  working to the bone. Dan had my own _grandson_  working to dismantle my life's work.

The man must really hate me. But his hatred was miniscule compared to mine.

I will never forgive that man. That man who ruined my life. The same man who is, perhaps, unknowingly, attempting to ruin Ryuu's life. Filling his head with despicable lies, of the strength of friendship, of unconditional love, of compassion for those who "lose" the sight of justice.

A man culpable of such hypocrisy has no right to speak of justice.

"You're just mad because we're ruining all of your precious murder plans," Ryuu said, looking up from his plate. "Don't expect me to feel sorry for you. You might be my grandfather but that doesn't excuse you for being a criminal."

" _The son of a criminal, Hoshihiko…how can I believe you?_ "

"It's easy for you to condemn me from the high and lofty chair of a Q Class member, Ryuu, but do you think that chair is rightfully yours? Don't think that justice is all-seeing, because more often than not, justice is blind. Terribly blind."

"You're the one who's blind," he said and pushed his plate aside. "I'm done here."

"I'll have them send the bill to our table," I said. "Unless you want dessert?"

"I don't like sweets," he said, hunching his shoulders. His hand reached over to clench at his white shoulder bag.

Still a child, but not for much longer. I think I've let him play for long enough.

The time for games has long passed. With the next stage set, Ryuu will find out the hard way, just as I did, how cruel friendship is and how quick loved ones will turn on you, just because they fear your power.

And they will fear you, Ryuu, once I show you the way.

Because you are my heir.

King Hades' blood-kin.

Pluto's successor.


	10. Promise

**Characters: Renjou Kyuu,** Amakusa Ryuu

 **Chapter Note:** Ignoring drama-verse canon in the live-action special.

* * *

**10.1 That night in the rain…**

The first time I met Ryuu he was crouched between the two dumpsters behind our apartment complex, huddling under an umbrella. It was a particularly stormy night and the roofing, which protected the dumpsters, hadn't been fixed then, so rainwater leaked through the gaps, drenching the ground.

I was eleven, old enough to remember not to talk to strangers (even if the neighborhood hobos seemed nice). But I didn't see Ryuu as a stranger to be avoided. He was a kid just like me and it looked like he needed help.

I could tell Ryuu wasn't a hobo because of the quality of the clothes he was wearing. Though his black jacket looked a little worse for wear, judging from the appearance of the material, it looked like an expensive down jacket. Underneath, he wore silk pajamas with black boots. With the large suitcase next to him and the bags under his eyes, he looked as if he had just run away from home.

Ryuu was asleep when I found him. After I threw out the trash in the dumpster, I tapped Ryuu on the shoulder.

"Hello— _itai!_ " The umbrella jerked and fell to the ground as Ryuu grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a wristlock.

"Who sent you? Tell me quick or your wrist goes."

I had no idea what he was talking about but figured I should answer quickly, in case Ryuu tore a ligament.

"No one sent me, I promise! Let go—you're hurting me!"

Ryuu released me. As I swung my wrist to relieve the pain, he scoffed.

"What? Just some kid."

"You can't call me that, not when you're a kid yourself," I pointed out. "How old are you anyway? Nine? Ten?"

"I'm eleven for your information." Even then, Ryuu was sensitive about his age. Then realizing that revealing his true age might not have been the best move tactically, he shook a fist at me. "Breathe a word of this to anyone and you'll never walk straight again."

"Humans can't naturally walk straight without a visible guide, so that wouldn't be too much of a loss," I told him. It was an exciting thing for me—to meet a runaway kid on the block. And Ryuu fascinated me—he seemed like both a grown-up and a kid.

My comment caught him off-guard, though he tried not to show it.

"That so? I could settle for breaking your legs." He raised his umbrella in what would have been a threatening gesture but leaked rainwater splashed onto his hair.

I couldn't help but laugh. Ryuu looked so funny with his wet bangs.

"Stop laughing," he grumbled and fiddled with his umbrella, trying to open it again.

"Why don't you come inside?" I offered.

Because he didn't deem me as a threat (and he was really cold and wet), Ryuu accepted my invitation.

That night, he slept on the futon.

The following night, Kaa-san had fixed up a room for him in the guest room next to mine.

At the end of the week, I took Ryuu out shopping for new clothes—for some reason, he mentioned that he needed a new wardrobe so he wouldn't be recognized. I didn't ask him about his family issues, but I did get him a nice shoulder bag when he mentioned it was his birthday.

A year later, we both passed the entrance exam for Dan-sensei's detective academy.

Ryuu still has the bag. He says he doesn't like the bag; only that it's useful. But it makes me happy to see him carry it around every day.

* * *

**10.2 A cup of sorrow**

I knew Ryuu was upset about the case because when we came home, he had not even bothered to remove his shoes, only stumbling blindly to his room and slam the door, so no one would see his tears. When Ryuu was like this, there was little I could do to help, except wait until Ryuu was willing to unlock the door and let me in.

"Oh? Has Ryuu-kun eaten yet? I'll set out a bowl for him in case he wants to eat tonight. And the new pudding I bought."

"I'll give it to him later," I said.

Ryuu's door unlocked three hours later, when the sun had set long ago and the city was bright with lights. He was quite calm when I entered the room and accepted the food while murmuring a quiet thanks.

 _Want to talk about it?_ I shut the door behind me and stood, letting him know I was ready to listen.

Ryuu swallowed. I waited.

"Mothers must be kind…is what I thought before today," he began. "But how could she even do that to others, to do the things no mother should do—"

"Mothers  _are_  kind," I said. "But their grief can be deep…revenge can take hold and make them do terrible things. But inside, they're hurting themselves just as much."

I wondered how often Ryuu missed his own mother. He rarely talked about her, only that she died when Ryuu was very young.

"Do you miss her, Ryuu?"

Ryuu knew I was not talking about the case.

"What are you suggesting, Kyuu? That a person like me can possibly—"

"Megu might have been a little scared of you, Ryuu, but I know you're not really like that."

Ryuu dryly chuckled.

"Don't be so sure you know me so well," he said before starting on the cup of pudding. "Because even I don't."

* * *

**10.3 "Only One"**

"Maybe I'm not cut out for this," Ryuu suddenly said on the subway. It was one of the rare days he decided to come with me to buy groceries. We were running low on rice and out of natto, which Ryuu, in particular, really liked.

"What do you mean?"

"Investigative work."

"Eh?" Ryuu was proud of his deductive skills and logical reasoning. It was unusual for him to sound so unconfident.

"This time I couldn't get any information from one of the victims," Ryuu said, eyes staring out the dark window. "The drawing guy—I knew he was lying but I couldn't make him open up."

"It's hard to open up people," I said. "Especially those guys. I get the feeling because of their academic obligations, they probably aren't very social to begin with."

"Kinta was able to," Ryuu mumbled. "I hate admitting it but I've lost to him."

"There's no winning or losing among investigators working on a case, Ryuu. Why do you think Dan-sensei put us all in the same class? We all have different strengths and weaknesses, so we can cover each other when we work as a team. Kinta has better people skills, but your analyzing skills are stronger."

"I suppose your strength is giving really annoying pep talks?" Ryuu scoffed. "Don't get carried away with the cooperation idea. You forget that there can only be one successor. Only one. There is no room for teamwork."

_You might be right, Ryuu, but if we all work as a team, as one, won't we all win?_

* * *

**10.4 A "deadly" embrace**

"Hold still for a moment, Ryuu."

"What is it? Hey, what are you doing?!"

"It's my new secret fighting move. Kinta's idea."

"Let go—since when do you listen to Kinta?"

"I figured it would be a good idea if I learned how to defend myself— _itai!_ "

"How's a  _hug_  supposed to be a fighting move?"

I groaned as I slowly got back on my feet. Ryuu was deceptively strong for his size.

"The bear hug's a real move, Ryuu."

Ryuu just looked at me as if I was a slow toddler, but his eyes were smiling.

" _Ba-ka_ —the bear hug only works if you're a lot bigger and heavier than me."

* * *

**10.5 Those precious school-day memories**

"Fwaa, these beds are so—soft—and—bouncy—Ryuu—you—have—to—try—this—"

Ryuu tch'd from his bed, which he was sitting calmly on.

"You sure are easy to please," he said. "Just like a little kid."

"I—don't—want—to—hear—that—from—someone—who's—only—ten—days—older—than—me—"

"I think we should think more about solving the case instead of jumping on the dorm beds."

I stopped jumping on the bed and sat down.

"I know—it's just been a while since I've been back at a normal school—and I've never been at a boarding school. Elementary school seems like so long ago and high school is really different and the classes seem so hard!"

"It's not hard once you get used to it," Ryuu said. "All high schools are pretty much the same—students cramming for exams, taking tests—and maybe a club or something if they have time, but a lot students are obsessed about grades and rankings."

"Isn't it inspiring for someone to do well though?" I asked, thinking back to when Ryuu had amazingly answered the complicated university-level math problem in class.

"Inspiring, maybe for some, but it isn't hard to believe that high achievers can be hated. Not everyone's like you, Kyuu."

"It looks sort of fun though…going to high school," I said. "Wouldn't you like to go someday?"

"You dream of weird things," Ryuu said.

_Is it that weird, Ryuu, to sometimes want normal things? Even if it is only a dream._

* * *

**10.6 Unmasked…but was there ever a mask?**

"Ryuu! Ryuu!"

Ryuu had barricaded himself inside his room. And this time I had a feeling that no amount of delicious food was going to coax him to unlock his door. All I could hope to do was to stand outside and try to talk to him through the wood.

"Ryuu-can we talk? Just for a bit?"

I heard some strange noises coming from the room. I frowned until I placed the sound—it was the sound of drawers being pulled open.

"Ryuu, please don't leave." The thought of waking up the next morning, to find the room vacant and cleared, it was a painful thought.

To my relief, the rummaging noises paused.

"Ryuu…I don't have the whole picture out in front of me, but what that man said, to me and to you, I've thought about it. And for a while, I didn't quite understand his words…but I understand now."

The door flew open and Ryuu had grabbed me by the collar, eyes narrowed.

"Kerberos is a conniving asshole who deserves to be punished. Slowly." His eyes glittered. "You might be smart, Kyuu, but don't slip into your annoying habit of thinking you understand me. You know  _nothing._ "

"I know that if I keep you arguing with me, I'll delay your packing," I countered, not at all ruffled at Ryuu's behavior. Ryuu acted tough but he wouldn't hurt people. "You're just running away, Ryuu. You're scared."

"Why shouldn't I be? You know already. I bet Dan-sensei knows now too. It won't be long until everyone in Q class finds out."

"That won't happen," I said.

"Oh? You're going to keep quiet about this? Even to those precious friends of yours?"

"Don't try to distance yourself from us—they're your friends, too, Ryuu, or else you wouldn't be so worried." I pulled Ryuu's hands away from my collar. He resisted a little but dropped his hands when he saw how serious I was. "I won't tell anyone. Everyone's allowed to keep secrets. Until you're ready, I won't say a word. So, don't leave, Ryuu."

"Fine, I get it." Ryuu pulled his hands from mine, scowling. "I won't leave tonight."

He closed the door, the lock clicking shut.

The room was quiet for the rest of the night.

* * *

**10.7 Disappearing acts are saddening, waiting for your return**

Ryuu stopped showing up for class. At first, no one noticed—Ryuu didn't exactly have the best attendance to begin with. Confident enough in his own skills, he only showed up for simulation exercises or if there was an actual case to be tackled. The others were like that, too, on days when we knew nothing exciting would actually be planned. Kazuma had his computer programming projects, Megu had her cosplay part-time job, and Kinta…well, we were sure where Kinta disappeared off to, but Megu spotted him escorting a hostess to a club (Kinta sure is a sly one, smooth with girls).

But after a week passed by and when the case involving the actress Taguchi Ryoko came up, Ryuu's absence was definitely noticed.

"What is Ryuu doing, slacking off like that?" I heard Megu whisper under her breath as Nanami-sensei briefed us on the case.

Surprisingly, Nanami-sensei seemed intent on ignoring Ryuu's absence. His eyes slid to Ryuu's vacant seat, but he continued to talk glibly on in his usual joking manner.

I knew he was trying to not let Ryuu's absence worry the rest of us, but I didn't like how he was behaving. Like he was fine with Ryuu being gone.

We  _need_  Ryuu on the case. Without him, things just didn't feel right.

* * *

**10.8 These bonds connecting us**

I'm afraid.

Ryuu's retreating back, I'm afraid this will be the last we ever see of him. Before he leaves, and goes where I cannot follow.

I cannot hope to reach Ryuu if he disappears to the dark, the dark he is trying to run from.

I run towards him. I call after him. My voice, instead of sounding confident as I intended, comes out breathless, pleading.

"Wait, Ryuu! We need your abilities to fight with Pluto."

"Ryuu!" I grab his hand.

He pulls away. Hard. Shaking me off so quickly, like I'm some annoying passerby.

Ryuu, he's really leaving?

"Ryuu!" I call, and my voice trembles.

He stops.

I lick my lips. All I have to say, it comes out in little bursts. I need to convince him to stay with us, to not leave. Every sentence I say is punctuated with his name—it is as if I am afraid I will never get a chance to use it again.

"Ryuu, Pluto doesn't have anything to do with it! Ryuu, we need you."

I need you.

"Ryuu, you need us too, right?"

I hold my breath as he turns around, a thousand emotions blazing from his eyes. Guilt, remorse, hope and longing—all conflicted in an agonized face. He looks at everyone before he looks at me. I stare right back, challenging him. He tries to look away but looks upward at me again.

The world seems to stop as we look at each other, locking gazes. I know what Ryuu wants and doesn't want. He wants me to lose this staring battle, for me to give up and break this bond between us. But he also actually wants me to win, and for him to lose.

I will not look away from you, Ryuu, I will not let you break the bond.

Will you let this bond break, Ryuu? My gaze asks him.

Ryuu's eyes change. They widen and his mouth parts open in surprise. He breaks our gaze, but not willingly. Something behind me has caught his attention.

Reluctantly, I turn around to look. It is only a man. I wonder why—

Suddenly, Ryuu is in front of me. He is so close I can feel his breath on mine. His eyes lock onto mine—they are brightly burning. Fiercely, protectively. He is telling me something right now.

He shoves me away. I fall backwards onto the concrete. A message without words.

The knife slides in and out of him and he falls, clutching at the red blossoming onto his white shirt.

"Ryuu!" I scream. I've seen blood before, so often that it no longer fazes me. But that blood was nothing to be scared of, because it was never his.

The others take care of the assailant but I have only eyes for Ryuu. Ryuu, who is dying on the ground. His eyelids flutter, his cheeks taut in pain. Breaths come in shallow, quick gasps. His hand presses against his stomach, trying to staunch the wound.

I cry out and reach for Ryuu. His breaths are so fast I almost miss what he's trying to say.

"No, no, no," Ryuu wheezes out. "I won't…"

 _Will you let this bond break?_  His answer to my unvoiced question.

I clasp his hand in mine, a promise sealed in his blood.

"Hang in there, Ryuu!"

* * *

**10.9 Fear of monsters**

"What's this? Usually it's the other way around, with me shut away and you talking me out."

Despite my depressed mood, I chuckle at Ryuu's attempt at humor from beyond the door.

"That's true," I say.

I hear the creak of wood by my door. Ryuu must be leaning on it now. I hear him sigh.

"Tch, I think I preferred it when it was the other way around, the usual way. You're much better at this talking bit than I am. You're being unfair, you realize that?"

I smile a little, but do not move from my bed. The door will stay locked tonight. I can't let this day's events go yet.

I can't be sure that this monster, which sleeps within me, this monster I never knew existed, wakes up again.

"I'm telling you beforehand that I'm bad at this, so don't blame me if I mess this up." Ryuu speaks quickly, but with hesitation. And even though I am still afraid of the monster in me, I listen.

"You probably think you're the most horrible person in the world after what happened," Ryuu begins. "Not surprising, being the goodly stupid person you are."

"Ryuu—"

"Shut up and listen," Ryuu cuts me off. "Let me make a few things clear. Yurie is a  _bitch._  Her profession is psychologically screwing other people's lives. And she loves it, screwing with people. The kind, just ones—they're her favorite targets.

"She doesn't have hypnotism like Kerberos, but her voice alone can be more devastating than any kind of hypnosis. She can read people's hearts and hurt them where it hurts the most. You responded like any other human would—and you shouldn't sit here feeling bad about it."

"Ryuu, I never thought…I was so angry, I couldn't think of anything but hurting her…there's a monster inside…and what if I end up wanting to do it again?"

The lock of the door clicks open and Ryuu opens the door, a metal needle in his hand.

"Baka, don't talk as if you're all alone. You have friends, you know." Ryuu pauses to think before adding, "As if you of all people would become someone who would stain his hands with blood. You couldn't fight your way out of a bag."

"Hey! That was a special case! That bag had a zipper!"

Ryuu snorts, his lips in an incredulous pout.

I laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ryuu is scowling again.

"Nothing," I say. "Thank you."

"I'll insult you as many times as you like," Ryuu says, pretending that was what I was thanking him for.

But from the relieved smile on his face, we both know and understand.

* * *

**10.10 Our promise to believe**

"What should we do? Which door? Which door is the safe one?"

Kinta is pacing around, gesturing wildly, in panic. Megumi paces with him, her steps small and quick, never straying close to the doors. She is afraid of them. Kazuma slumps on the floor, muttering under his breath, his eyes on the clock counting down to our destruction.

I close my eyes—it helps me focus. I block out Kazuma's curses at Ryuu (surprisingly, Kazuma has a colorful tongue). I remember the dream I had recently, on the night before Ryuu left.

A younger Ryuu, dressed in white, was crying. All around him, the shadows were closing in, taking advantage of the weakening light, caused by Ryuu's pain.

A shining flash above Ryuu catches my eye. I look up and see the golden light, which swings on a long, thin chain. The light is bright but cold, flashing like metal.

I call out to the crying Ryuu. At first Ryuu does not seem to hear me, but when my hand reaches out to him, his eyes flash and suddenly, I am looking at the current Ryuu, the Ryuu I know, and his eyes are blazing hot, like a dragon's.

My eyes water but I keep looking. His mouth opens and he speaks but I cannot hear. I can only watch his lips move in silence.

Thinking back, I recall his lips again and now I can fill in the unheard words.

_I promise I will never lie to you._

"Kyuu, we should pick the snail door," Kinta calls out urgently. "It's obvious that Ryuu isn't on our side anymore, so he's trying to trick us."

_Would you like to try opening this snail door? It's best if you don't—it's the incorrect door. The moment you open it, your bodies will be covered in flames._

"Only one more minute! What are we going to do, Kyuu? Which door?" Megu says, her voice high.

"Maybe we should vote?" Kazuma mumbled. "Or try opening both of them?"

_Kyuu, will you believe me?_

"Kyuu! There's no time!"

I notice a shard of glass on the floor and pick it up. In an instant, everything clicks together.

"Thank you, Ryuu," I say and leap for the frog door.

_"No matter what, Ryuu, I'll always believe in you…"_


	11. Forging Fate

**Characters: Amakusa Ryuu** , Miss Yurie, Ken L Bellrose (Kerberos), Renjou Kyuu, Q Class

 **Chapter Note:** Post-series.

 **A/N:**  The final chapter (an epilogue of sorts) to Dragon's Mirror! It's been a short but fun ride—hopefully you guys have enjoyed reading. Leave a review to show your appreciation/constructive comments if you have a few minutes to spare!

* * *

We had just finished dowsing the church in kerosene when Kyuu's cell phone rings.

"Hello? Yeah, we're still meeting up tomorrow afternoon…yup, the temple past the bridge…do you know how to get there? Okay, bye."

"Was that Megu?" I ask, though I knew the answer. No one else would be calling Kyuu so late at night.

"Ah, she just wanted to make sure she had the place and time right—we're meeting at four, right?"

I paused before striking a match, the flame flared up in the darkness like a fiery bird.

"Yes," I say. "You guys don't have to come if you don't want—"

"What are you talking about? We're coming because we want to." Kyuu smiles. "Besides, I wanted to greet your parents."

"Do as you please," I say, pretending it was not a big deal that for the first time ever, I would not be greeting my parents in bitter tears.

"Should we get started now, while there's no wind?" Kyuu reaches for his lit torch but hesitates. "Are you sure—"

"Yes," I interrupted. "It will never end otherwise. All of the murder plans are hidden in these walls."

"I see." This time, Kyuu accepts the torch. "Ready?"

I nod. Without another word, we throw the torches through the windows.

After a shower of glass, the church roars to life as the flames devour everything.

A thick plume of smoke rises to smother the sky.

* * *

They are already here an hour before the appointed time. The morning calls of songbirds filled the still morning air with joyful sounds. A dog from a house down the street barked, greeting the morning. The sun shone brightly, casting the polished gravestones in a dazzling white.

"You're early," I say.

"Ryuu-sama…" Miss Yurie's voice has changed now, as her appearance. She seems to have shrunk, her mysterious aura, which had granted her so much power, seemed to have disappeared into benign mundaneness. She seems like an ordinary, world-weary woman. "For such a request, how could we not be by your side at once?"

Kerberos cackles from atop a fancy headstone. He seems to have washed and combed his hair, though even in his new clothes—a black pinstripe suit and polished white shoes—he is still the slimy mongrel he always was.

"What she means, Ryuu-sama, is that you must be possessed by the old man to summon us here—you can't stand our existence, after all." His pendulum is still with him, but wound tightly around his neck, like an expensive collar. "Don't tell me you're planning to take over Pluto, now that the old man is gone."

"Kerberos!" Miss Yurie barks, though in her current state, it sounds more like a desperate plea. "How dare you besmirch Hades-sama's name—"

"King Hades, my grandfather, is dead," I cut in, before the two try to kill each other. "Pluto is destroyed for good this time. I have taken measures to make sure that every murder plan has been erased from this world."

Kerberos, instead of getting angry, whistles.

"Oh-ho…that was  _your_  fire?"

Miss Yurie wails as she falls to the ground with shock.

"Ryuu-sama, how could you? Hades-sama's plans…it was all for your sake! His gift to you…and you throw it all away? He loved you!"

"It was for his own damned sake, never mine!" My voice rises despite my efforts to keep calm. "He, who gave up on friends, who lost hope and faith in the kindness of others…he, who  _chose_  to drown in his own bitterness and to seek revenge…a man, who could not stand to see his grandson obtain what he could never obtain, this man, my  _grandfather_ , was willing to  _hypnotize_  me to  _murder my own friends_. All to satisfy his revenge against Dan-sensei!"

I furiously wipe away the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. I am angry at myself for crying, like a child. I must not show any weakness in front of these two.

"So don't you dare say he loved me. Because he didn't. I wished he did. It would have made forgiving him easier."

Miss Yurie whimpers, cringing at the biting strength of my words. I have upset her. Kerberos, however, has a thoughtful expression in his eyes. It is a gaze I have never seen on him before. It is a gaze that is absent of his usual cruelty.

Somehow, the man seems to understand me.

"If Pluto's successor and legitimate heir bids the dissolution of Pluto, how can we defy his words?" Kerberos bows deeply, and smiles. "Is this your last order for us, Ryuu-sama?"

"What are you saying, Kerberos?" Miss Yurie asks, her voice breaking.

"He's setting us free, Yurie." Kerberos smiles crookedly, looking at me through half-lidded eyes. "And you're fine with that? Leave us to our own devices—who knows what havoc we will wreak on those poor innocent people?"

"You forget who I am, Kerberos." I am ready for his reply. "Amakusa Ryuu, a member of Dan's Detective Academy's Q Class. No matter how hard or impossible the case is, we will solve it. Together."

Miss Yurie hiccups.

"Ryuu-sama…do you really think you can just leave your past? Such a lonely path you've decided to take—"

"I'm not alone," I say and check my watch. "And don't think I'm just letting you guys go scot-free—you've hurt too many people for that. The police will be here in ten minutes to arrest you. I'd start running now if you want to escape."

"Ryuu-sama!" Miss Yurie struggles to her feet, looking horrified. "How could you?"

"Yurie-chan, I think we've overstayed our welcome. Shall we head out?" Miss Yurie lay on the ground, still sniffling, but eventually reached for Kerberos's hand.

"You are awfully cruel, Ryuu-kun." Kerberos's change in honorific did not faze me—in fact, I expected it. "Have the police hunt us down like dogs…I suppose you're feeling good right now? To have done a just thing—you never liked doing the dirty work yourself."

"Nothing would please me more than to catch you with my own two hands, Kerberos, but that would make me just as bad as you. But even someone like you deserves a chance. Without Pluto's collar, I wonder, what kind of person will you want to become?" I point at myself. "I told you once before, I will fight against my fate and I will not stop until I have overcome it. No one decides my path but myself."

_How will you forge your fate, Kerberos?_

"Saa…who knows?" Kerberos licks his lips, eyes distant. "It's been a while…since I've had the chance to think about it."

The two vanish into the trees. Undoubtedly, they already had a nondescript car prepared. Detective Moroboshi would have trouble catching them—the two were very good at making getaways—but with the entire police department mobilized on a manhunt for them, even Kerberos would find it hard to move around Tokyo.

I retrieve the bouquet of lilies from a paper bag I brought. Walking along the stone path, I listen to the sound of the birds, the rustling of leaves in the wind. It will be autumn soon.

Near the end of the path, I stop to turn and knelt. Megu was right—the lilies were a good choice.

"Father, Mother, it's been a while. I wanted to tell you—"

"Ryuu!"

I sigh. Figures Kyuu and Q Class would come early. And noisily enough to wake up the dead—they should really work on their manners. But Megu has brought a large wicker basket. Kinta and Nanami-sensei are carrying a cooler. Kazuma and Dan-sensei have brought flowers and fruit. Kyuu is running, the red tablecloth streaming behind him like a flag.

I suppose it is a rather nice day for a picnic.

Bowing slightly in apology to my parents—they'll have to wait—I turn around and wave my hand.

"Over here!" I call to my friends.

And smile.

**The End**


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